Published: 20Jun08
Source:http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/06/20/4434_ntnews.html
Python pops out of 10th-floor toilet
REBEKAH CAVANAGH
20Jun08
A 1.8m BLACK-HEADED python has been found in a toilet bowl on the 10th floor of a posh Darwin apartment block.
It is not known how long the sneaky and "smelly'' snake had been travelling up and down the sewage pipes.
But NT reptile wrangler Chris Peberdy rescued it on Sunday afternoon after the tenants of the Cullen Bay apartment got the shock of their lives when going to the bathroom.
"When I saw it I was pretty shocked,'' Mr Peberdy said.
"It's one thing in the Territory to have a green frog in the toilet ... but not a six-foot python.''
"It would certainly scare you if it came up from the depths of the toilet.''
Python photo gallery
Mr Peberdy said there were no windows or other spaces that the snake -- which is "as thick as someone's wrist'' -- could have got into the bathroom.
"There is no possible other way it could have got there than through the toilet,'' Mr Peberdy said. "I had to give him a good wash as he was wet and a bit smelly.''
But it is not the first time he has had to rescue a snake from the loo.
"About three years ago I had the same sort of thing ... an olive python had been living through the toilets of a city apartment block on Daly St,'' he said.
"But it was never on the 10th floor.''
Mr Peberdy said the python, which is not poisonous, is likely to be a runaway pet that has travelled through the pipes after escaping a neighbour's home.
"Black-headed pythons are quite rare in the Darwin area, but they are popular in captivity,'' he said.
"They are a prized pet and are quite valuable.
Mr Peberdy said the incident was a reminder for snake owners to ensure they keep their scaly pets locked and secured in appropriate cages or tanks.
"This could have ended in disaster,'' he said.
"Someone could have had a heart attack if they came across it, or the snake could have been killed and chopped up into little pieces.''
If you are the owner of the snake please call Chris on 0409326307.
Source:http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/06/20/4434_ntnews.html
Python pops out of 10th-floor toilet
REBEKAH CAVANAGH
20Jun08
A 1.8m BLACK-HEADED python has been found in a toilet bowl on the 10th floor of a posh Darwin apartment block.
It is not known how long the sneaky and "smelly'' snake had been travelling up and down the sewage pipes.
But NT reptile wrangler Chris Peberdy rescued it on Sunday afternoon after the tenants of the Cullen Bay apartment got the shock of their lives when going to the bathroom.
"When I saw it I was pretty shocked,'' Mr Peberdy said.
"It's one thing in the Territory to have a green frog in the toilet ... but not a six-foot python.''
"It would certainly scare you if it came up from the depths of the toilet.''
Python photo gallery
Mr Peberdy said there were no windows or other spaces that the snake -- which is "as thick as someone's wrist'' -- could have got into the bathroom.
"There is no possible other way it could have got there than through the toilet,'' Mr Peberdy said. "I had to give him a good wash as he was wet and a bit smelly.''
But it is not the first time he has had to rescue a snake from the loo.
"About three years ago I had the same sort of thing ... an olive python had been living through the toilets of a city apartment block on Daly St,'' he said.
"But it was never on the 10th floor.''
Mr Peberdy said the python, which is not poisonous, is likely to be a runaway pet that has travelled through the pipes after escaping a neighbour's home.
"Black-headed pythons are quite rare in the Darwin area, but they are popular in captivity,'' he said.
"They are a prized pet and are quite valuable.
Mr Peberdy said the incident was a reminder for snake owners to ensure they keep their scaly pets locked and secured in appropriate cages or tanks.
"This could have ended in disaster,'' he said.
"Someone could have had a heart attack if they came across it, or the snake could have been killed and chopped up into little pieces.''
If you are the owner of the snake please call Chris on 0409326307.
:lol:
